Founded in 1895, the International Co-operative Alliance is an independent, non-governmental organisation which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. Operating from a global office in Brussels, Belgium, there are four regional offices supporting members in Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. The Alliance also has sectoral organisations for members active in fisheries, agriculture/forestry, consumer, banking/credit unions, housing, insurance and workers.

Benefits of Membership

As a member, you will gain from the leadership of the International Co-operative Alliance in a number of areas and be entitled to a
number of benefits.

The Alliance is the Forum for Inter-cooperation:

Develop business relationships and partnerships with members

Trade fairs

Access to the Alliance’network

Connection to the global development network

The Alliance is the holder of Co-operative Knowledge:

Gain access to ICA as a resource for co-operative expertise, in particular co-operative statistics, information and intelligence

Participate in capacity building/training programmes

Exchange of information and technical documents

Receive and access information on co-operatives including regular publications

Access member only resources including member contacts, member only information releases, and global co-operative statistics as requested.

The Alliance represents the movement as its Global Voice:

Defines and promotes the co-operative difference with media and policy-makers

Represents the co-operative movement in multilateral organisations including the United Nations system, the International Accounting Standards Board, the European Union, and others

Defence for the co-operative movement with national governments at the request of members

Participate in the governance of the Alliance

Who is eligible?

We offer two types of membership: co-operatives and organisations that unite or federate groups of co-operatives may become Members while other kinds of organisations that are not themselves cooperatives, but that support them in some way, can become Associate Members. Membership subscriptions are calculated based on a formula for Members and a flat fee for Associate Members:

Those eligible to become full Members are:

National union or federation of co-operative organisations

National confederation of co-operative unions (apex organisations)

National co-operative business organisation with majority individual ownership (a co-operative society working at the national level whose members are not only people but can also be enterprises -- i.e. a mixed membership)

International and regional (supranational) federations or unions of co-operative organisations(organisations with membership in multiple countries)

Those eligible to become Associate Members are:

Organisations that are not otherwise eligible to be full members, including:

Organisations that are supporters of co-operatives

Government departments and agencies

Organisations that are owned and controlled by co-operatives (entities that are not co-ops themselves but that are owned entirely by co-ops (not individuals)

Educational, research and other institutions that promote or finance co-operatives and the co-operative movement (training institutions and semi-autonomous institutions with no cooperative members)

Organisations entitled to full member status, but that are not ready to apply for full membership.

The Alliance represents the movement as its Global Voice:

Defines and promotes the co-operative difference with media and policy-makers

Represents the co-operative movement in multilateral organisations including the United Nations system, the International Accounting Standards Board, the European Union, and others

Defence for the co-operative movement with national governments at the request of members

Participate in the governance of the Alliance

How to apply

If you’ like to be a part of something really special then please join us! Candidate organisations should complete the Membership Application Form and provide the Alliance with the required supporting documents to:
Gretchen Hacquard, Director of Membership
E-mail: hacquard@ica.coop

Or post it to the Global Office at the address below. You can start the application process by speaking to either the global office or any of the regional and sectoral organisations. The relevant offices will review your application before it is submitted for consideration by the Membership Committee of the Board. The Committee will advise the candidate organisation shortly after a decision is made.